Verdict: Honestly, I expected a lot more from this seeing that I love Bath & Body works handcream and hand soaps. But sadly, this bath bomb just doesn’t deliver. It doesn’t do much for your skin (you don’t feel as though it has allowed your skin to be moisturized). Nor were you engulfed in a sweet scented embrace. I barely smelled the warm vanilla sugar fragrance (to the point that I wasn’t even sure it was vanilla, it could’ve been anything). I don’t know if their other scents are more potently scented, (as their handcreams deliver a crazy amount of aroma), but this warm vanilla sugar was truly weak.
Mindy McGinnis has been delivering badass (sometimes unlikeable) but definitely strong female protagonists since her early works. This Darkness Mine is no different from her previous novels in that regard. Sasha Stone is the epitome of perfection: first chair clarinet player, straight-A student, and also comes equipped with a “perfect” boyfriend who’s handsome, well-dressed, and doesn’t pressure her into sex. All of this slowly begins to erode once bad-boy Isaac Harver enters the scene. Soon, she begins to feel feelings towards him that she never did and recalling events she’s never taken part of. Or has she?
Some light begins to shed when we find out that Sasha had a twin that she ultimately ended up absorbing whilst in the womb (known as Shanna). Unlike Sasha, this twin despises control and perfection and begins to wreck havoc into her life once she starts to take over Sasha’s psyche. But is Shanna real or merely a figment of Sasha’s imagination?
The book flirts with the notion of unreliable narrator, much like Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan did with Natalie Portman’s character. Is what is happening real or is it all just a sign of Sasha’s ultimate madness?
McGinnis breathes life into the “dead twin” Shanna, allowing her to be the personification of Freud’s ID (meaning being a person who only lives for their own passions and don’t allow their brain to control their emotions). Sasha on the other hand is Freud’s EGO end of this yin-yang duo, the brain and captain of the ship. But what happens when the emotion-driven Shanna takes reins of the situation and how will that effect Sasha’s “perfect” world?
This book isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s gory. (Yes, I L-O-V-E-D it!). And just when you think you know where it’s leading you, you’re completely blindsided by yet again another improvised detour that will leave you questioning your own sanity and judgment. McGinnis delivers a punch to the gut with her sharp writing and often ruthless character interactions.
So take the plunge, cause it’s one hell of a crazy ride.
Short Q & A With the Author:
When I started reading This Darkness Mine I realized that the book was based off of the short story that appeared in Among The Shadows, entitled Phantom Heart. When did you decide to further explore Sasha’s world and what was it about this character that compelled you to do that?
Great question, thanks for noticing! Yes, DARKNESS is based on my short, “Phantom Heart.” Originally, I had no intention of taking this any further. Then my fellow editors for Among The Shadows – Demitria Lunetta and Kate Karyus Quinn – insisted that there was a whole novel there. I wasn’t sure, but I pitched the idea to my editor at Harper Collins, who was like – Yes! Write it!
Sasha Stone is the typical overachiever. Do you think that her mental illness derives from expecting perfection out of herself and the pressures that come along with that, or does she suffer from multiple personality disorder?
I worked in a public school for 15 years, and I always thought it was interesting how black and white rules and programs were. Drugs are bad. Sex is bad. Smoking is bad. Period. In some ways, we’re telling the kids that even curiosity about our “darker” inclinations are plain wrong, and need to be smothered, not investigated. Perfection is impossible, yet many strive for it. I wondered what would happen if you took an already strained teen, trying to be the “good” kid, and had her repulsed even by any interest in doing “bad” things. Would she be able to accept that such urges can be normal? Or is that so far outside of what we’ve taught her is “good” that she has to come up with an alternative explanation?
For many years I’ve been very fascinated with the creepy phenomenon of Fetus in Fetu, where a twin ends up absorbing the other twin in the womb, and in some cases doctors have later found the missing twin inside of the living twin, usually mistaken for a tumor later on in life. When did you become interested in this strange phenomenon?
It’s actually not a rare event, it’s something that usually goes completely unnoticed. I can’t remember the first time I ever heard of it, because it is pretty pervasive in pop culture, but I did have a student years and years ago who had absorbed his twin. It’s something I collected in my lint trap of a brain, and it became paired in my mind with the mirror therapy that they use for phantom limb syndrome, which is how “Phantom Heart” came about.
In the novel, Sasha is a clarinet player. Were you ever in band in high school and how did that help with writing the novel from a musician’s point of view?
You bet!!! Trombone since 4th grade!!! I tell everyone this is my band geek book. I also took piano lessons throughout most of my childhood, so music has always been a part of my life as both a consumer and a producer. This was a chance to work that into a book.
This novel was exceptionally dark. It explored the trials of mental illness as well as what it means to be a successful girl. Which actress could you see in the role of Sasha if this were to be made into a movie?
Oh, I have no idea. I don’t ever do any fan casting.
(Editor note: I asked that question because I could totally see Emma Roberts portraying stone-cold crazy bitch Sasha to perfection.)
I often use music to get into a certain mood depending what scenes I’m writing. Since your novel was about a girl who was obsessed with music, did you use music as a way to aid you in the writing of this book? And which music/artist/or song did you listen to when immersing yourself into Sasha’s world?
I actually don’t listen to music when I’m writing because while it can be helpful to get you into one mood, it can also end up controlling you mood so that when you need to flip to something else when you change scenes it can be hard. Instead I have a white noise app that I keep on while I’m writing. It’s a back ground noise that lets my creativity be in control, not someone else’s.
The first time I saw you, you walked right past me and I felt my heart leap out of my chest as my gaze followed you and I said, “Who’s that hot guy?” And my then-boyfriend merely laughed and told me how it was a friend, and called after you. Once you returned, your eyes met mine and just like in some lame rom-com it felt like time had stopped for a moment, minus the cheesy pop song as the soundtrack. We spent the night drinking coffee and talking, and something I’d just look over at you as you spoke animatedly with your friend. When my phone rang, you said, “We’ve got the same ring tone,” later showing me how you too, had the same Franz Ferdinand song. You were on my mind for days after that night. It was impossible for me to fall in love with the boy I was with, because you had eclipsed him completely. How can one love the moon, when you were the sun?
The second time we met, it was a cold December night. I had broken up with my boyfriend. Two Capricorns were never meant to be together, our stubbornness clashing in the most violent ways. We met at a coffee shop, one of the few still open at the dead of night. We drank conspicuous amounts of coffee and tried several cakes. You kept drawing me comic strips of myself. It was bliss.
Then you insisted you’d walk me back to my hotel. It was snowing. Music flowed out from a pub down the street. You grabbed me, insisted we dance. I laughed, telling you it was too cold and you pulled me to saying, “I’ll keep you warm, pretty girl.” The stars lit up your eyes, and I smiled giving in. I still was uncertain in regards to your feelings for me. But then you kissed me, and any doubts I had vanished.
Like most wonderful, charming men, you were taken. Of course, I didn’t know that until after. After many kisses and after my heart was already yours. It was too late then for me to try to pull myself free of this twisted love.
You sent me so many letters after we parted. So many roses that I could’ve adorned a flower shop. You made me so many mix CDs filled with your own music and The Beatles, The Smashing Pumpkins, and various other artists.
The fourth time I saw you, three weeks had passed since our last encounter. But I immediately knew that something was amiss. The THE END was written all over your pale face by the way you grimaced when I hugged you. I knew that you were about to hit me with bad, TERRIBLE news.
I couldn’t stay. I had to get away.
You kept calling me afterwards. Leaving messages, saying how we should still be friends. That we were friends before lovers.
Another month went by before I saw you again.
By then my heart was shattered. But you kept telling me how much you loved me. I was reeling on x to truly understand any of it. I only wanted to smash your heart in smithereens just as you had done with mine. I just wanted to burn anything that you had ever given to me, till there was nothing left but ashes.
“I love you,” you kept repeating, like I was a child who couldn’t understand. “I care very deeply for you.”
I kept shaking my head. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true, or else I wouldn’t feel so awful. I let go of your hand.
“Where are you going?” you said, as tears blinded me. I walked aimlessly away from you. I wanted so much to stay. But I knew I couldn’t.
What It Is: Highly Pigmented Liquid Matte Lipstick
Verdict: I bought this lipstick because I was looking for a matte liquid lipstick that was a blood red hue, and so I ended up getting the Roseblood shade out of this collection. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I haven’t been impressed with too many liquid lipsticks from other brands, except for Jeffree Star (my absolute favourite brand for liquid lipsticks). What I can say is that I’m pleasantly surprised by how amazing this product is! First of all, the colour is highly pigmented (albeit that you have to slick on about two layers of it since the first layer is more sheer than dark), but the best thing about this liquid lipstick is that it’s NOT drying AND it looks amazing (meaning it doesn’t play up the lines in your lips but rather comes out looking very smooth-looking an uniform). Bonuspoint: This lipstick doesn’t come off even after a serious makeout session.
I met you in the City of Love, or most commonly known as Paris. I was heartbroken and crying my eyes out along the Seine when you stopped me and asked me if I needed help in any way. “Are you capable of fixing a broken heart?” I said with a slight embarrassed laugh in between the tears. You were gentle and kind, and although your eyes are of the lightest shade of blue, they were the warmest color in that cold winter day.
You were in the city with your brother because he had a film meeting, and I was there to see “The Soulmate” (brooding musician that made any girl sigh as he walked by) only to find out that what should’ve been a getting back together weekend turned out to be a breaking up for good when he admitted that a girl he was casually seeing was impregnated with his baby. Somehow that cemented the fact that I needed to walk away for good.
My infatuation for you was both sudden and fleeting. I loved the way you held your paintbrush as you went on a painting frenzy, mixing the colours till they transformed into magic. Your kisses were warm, but my heart was cold. I’d touch you hoping that I’d feel something inside of me stir, but my heart was too wounded to even find a weak beat in its dark crevices.
We shared cappuccinos and croissants in Florence, admired Botticelli’s art, and walked along the bridge over the Arno River. You held unto my hand as though you never wanted to let it go, and yet I always walked a step ahead of you, as though I wanted to disentangle from your affection.
And yet the months went by and I kept living in old black and white photographs whilst your world was in technicolor. You didn’t know how dark my world had become, I was so good at smiling in your presence. But tears would plague me the moment I was alone. I didn’t even know what I was crying over. The end of a relationship? Losing the soulmate? Or was I merely devastated that I couldn’t feel what you felt for me?
Love for you was eternal Spring, whilst I was living the most dreadful winter. When it came time for me to tell you the truth and let you go, I watched your heart crack leaving dreadful red marks down your chest and I wished that I could repaint a better picture. I yearned so much that I could distort the world to make it appear as beautiful as you saw it, because I wanted to much to be a part of it, but I don’t think I ever was.
The stars had abandoned me. There was only darkness in my road and you deserved the light.
With Halloween right around the corner, it was obvious that I was going to share a makeup tutorial. I recently went to a Zombie Prom this past weekend, so I ended up having to do a zombie makeup for the very first time. For being my first time, I think that I did a decent job (good enough to be somewhat creepy).
It actually was very easy to achieve so read below on how to get this terrifying look!
Base
Since I needed to look dead, I decided not to use any concealer under my eyes, and actually accentuated my dark circles even more so. But I first prepped my skin with Smashbox’s Photofinish Primer before applying Manic Panic’s Dreamtone foundation in Virgin (Whitest White) shade. I set the foundation using LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs High Definition Microfinish Pressed Powder.
Eyes & Lips
For my brows, I used my go-to Medusa’s Makeup Brow Wow Wow. For the lids, I applied Siren Song from Notoriously Morbid all over and applied Urban Decay’s Crave eyeshadow along the crease and along my lower lashes. I then accentuated my dark circles by blending Urban Decay’s Crave and Faint eyeshadows.
To glam things up (and since the event was an 80’s Prom theme) I applied one of Nicka K’s Shimmer Eyeliner in Cyan and then using lash glue applied Medusa’s Makeup Glitter in Mystique all over my lid. I finished up my eye-look with three generous coats of Lancome’s Definicil’s Mascara in Black.
The lips were simple, I applied Jeffree Star’s Velour Liquid Lipstick in I’m Nude to cancel out my real lip colour and make them appear more washed out. I then dabbed some Lime Crime Velvetines in Cement in the center to give a “decayed” look.
Zombie Makeup
For my major “gash” I glued some tissue paper on my cheek using lash glue and then dabbed some of the foundation I used prior to make the paper appear like my skin. I then mixed Urban Decay’s eyeshadows in Crave (a matte black hue) and Faint (a matte brown hue) I dabbed it on the wound. Finally to complete the look I used Blood FX Gel around and on the wound.
Then using only the two Urban Decay eyeshadows (Crave and Faint) I placed random wounds along my face and then using the FX Blood Gel I applied it on top of that and near and around my lips.
Using a liquid eyeliner I then created broken veins along my forehead and down my eyes.
Let me know what you think of this Zombie look and if you’ve created other Zombie looks yourself!
Our love spanned several cities and many jet-lagged mornings. There were more winters than summers. Always wrapped up in bulky sweaters and coats. Our breaths rising in the cold mornings as we shared secrets and cigarettes.
Knowing you was like knowing the world. I learned everything from you. The good, the bad, and the painful. You were smart, well-read, and the right amount of cocky and charming. You were my beacon of light in the dark corridors of my heart. You illuminated everything that was good or bad about me. Maximum transparency. There was no hiding from you. I was cut open, ready for inspection like a frog that was getting dissected by a curious student.
At night we’d fall asleep curled up – exhausted. I’d fall asleep holding your guitar-callused hand feeling safe. I thought you were my soul mate, but I was young and you were reckless.
Our fights would make the walls shake with my accusations, your rage would destroy everything we had built together. You were such a confident liar and I too young and willing to believe the fables you weaved in gold to blind me of the truth.
But maybe you didn’t want to see the truth either.
So we decked our eyes with stars and would live on kisses and chocolates. We whispered poetry, William Blake, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sylvia Plath, while lying in bed our naked limbs tangled like a fishnet at rest. We lived on music and writing. Your words, my words, soon they became our words till your song and my poems were one and the same reciting the same story over and over again to audiences eager to listen to our heartbreak and love.
I’d drive fast into the night without the headlights on, using the beam of the moon as my guide in the dark. You’d hang your head out the passenger window, your black hair flying wildly in the wind and say, “We are going to live forever!” Because, forever when you are young is infinite.
We shared love, music, tears, and books. We were one.
For a moment we were soul mates.
Now you sing your stories about our love to audiences hungry with desire, and I whisper my poems to the wind because I want my words to be carried across the ocean and caress you at night when you’re asleep and I’m just waking up for the day.
If you were a teen in the late 90’s, then you’ll feel a strange sense of deja’vu that has inhabited the streets lately. Young girls wearing chokers, velvet tees, flannels, bodysuits, and bold brownish red lipstick making one feel as though you were in 1997, but nope it’s 2017, and the 90’s are back and wildly more stylish than ever.
For those of us who lived through it and kept a few nostalgic memorabilia and garments we’re able to resuscitate our old flannels and bring our chokers back to life after a twenty year hibernation. But what about our coveted makeup?
Have no fear as Essie has brought us a whole new line of 90’s inspired nail varnish that will make you feel like Revlon’s Street Wear never got discontinued.
Meet GIRLY GRUNGE a soft silvery metallic shade with a dash of lavender that looks like it could’ve been the love child of Revlon’s Street Wear nail varnish Prissy and Gunmetal.
This varnish is both durable (no chipping for two weeks!) and fast-drying, both a must for a busy gal that hasn’t got the time to spend hours on her manicure (although it’ll look like you DID spend more time than you really did to get one).
So turn up the volume on Hole’s Miss World, apply another coat of purple mascara, and slip into a pair of Spice Girl platform boots cause 1997 is back, baby and the second time around is even better than the first.
Despite the fact that the majority of people are appalled over the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Asia Argento seems to be getting the short stick of solidarity in her own home country, Italy. After Ronan Farrow’s lengthy article about the movie mogul for The New Yorker went viral, most people reached out in support of the victims. The opposite effect happened to Asia Argento in Italy. Not only was she victim blamed and ridiculed, but major Italian newspapers ran articles with titles such as, “First they gave it away, and twenty years later they whine,” (referring to all the actresses that had been sexually harassed and/or raped). If that alone doesn’t make your skin crawl with anger, you must not have a heart or conscience.
The Italian public has always seemed to have an unspoken dislike for actress Asia Argento since the very beginning of her career. I don’t know if it has to do with bearing an important last name (her father is the famed master of horror, director Dario Argento) that has led to the hate, but it’s always been there. For years people questioned her talent, stating that she was only getting roles because of her famous dad (despite the fact that she’s won TWO Davide di Donatello awards, the Italian equivalent of an Academy Award). There’s always been a certain jealousy surrounding her because her father wasn’t just famous in Italy, but worked with many actors in America and was considered a huge influence on the horror genre worldwide.
Another reason the Italian public has always had issues with her is because she’s always been open about her sexuality (and somehow in a patriarchal society, that is frightening). And I don’t think her public image ever truly recovered from the time actor Sergio Rubini pursued her whilst still married to Italy’s beloved actress Margherita Buy.
Are all these reasons valid to drag Asia Argento into the mud for actually speaking up on a harrowing incident? NO. And yet, the likes of Selvaggia Lucarelli (famous Italian journalist) and Vladimir Luxuria (famous transgender member of the Communist Refoundation Party and LGBT activist) have ruthlessly attacked, bullied, and ridiculed the actress for speaking up, ultimately trying to pass her off as an attention whore, or just plain whore.
Both Selvaggia Lucarelli and Vladimir Luxuria should be ashamed for shaming a rape victim. The violent backlash that Asia has had is sickening and proves time and time again exactly WHY women often don’t report rape or sexual harassment.
Rape is rape.
And Asia Argento is a victim of rape and as such should be applauded for her courage, not demeaned.
In just a few short weeks we will officially kick off the holiday season with trick-o-treating and all the haunted houses we can handle then it’s off to the holiday races! So, before you get too consumed with baking cookies and doing your holiday shopping get your holiday cards created and ready to send out so you can be on top of the game and ahead of the curve!
Since it’s still October you may have some Christmas cobwebs blocking your festive creativity so we have taken care of all the inspiration for you by teaming up with online stationery design company, Basic Invite, who is bringing us all the Christmas card ideas you’ll need to get your cards designed, ordered, and out the door asap!
Upload a Photo
Choosing a photo holiday card design is an especially good idea if you live far away from family and friends or if you have had a too busy of a year to catch up as often as you would have liked. Anyone who opens up a card to familiar faces will be ecstatic to see how old the kids are and how happy everyone looks. Another photo design option is a collage. This way you can choose a few of your favorite moments from the past year to display or create a timeline with your photos!
Add Gold, Silver, or Rose Gold Foil
Foil is always a good idea! Typically people associate the holidays with a bit of sparkle and shine so the addition of gold, silver, or rose gold foil to your holiday cards will not go unnoticed! Gold and silver are a classic choice, but rose gold foil is so gorgeous and can add an element of uniqueness which is sure to get displayed proudly on the mantel.
Think Outside of the Box
Traditional holiday greeting cards are a go to choice, but if you want your Christmas card to stand out try thinking outside of the box this year. Choose a fun and informal design and jazz it up using bright colors and a fun font rather than sticking to the typical red and green with a fancy font. Pair your modern card with a colored peel and seal envelope so it stands out from the start!
If you are planning on sending out holiday greeting cards this season head over to Basic Invite and customize your today! They have over 250 Christmas and holiday card designs which are all completely customizable. Don’t forget to take advantage of their address capturing service, too! All you have to do it share a link, request addresses, and get recipient printing free!
If you haven’t heard of Basic Invite you have been missing out! They are the custom card company and are currently offering 30% off all holiday cards with code holi30! Check them out on all their social media channels to keep up with their newest products and all the stationery design inspiration you didn’t know you were missing!
The Inkblotters 